Mailer



No. 624,806. Patented May 9, I899.

.1. A. HORTON & c. wme.

MAILEB. (Applicat ion filed Apr. 9, 1898.)

(lo Modal.) 2 sheetarshaet I.

m: News agrees co. mom-umou WA SHINGTOm o c.

Pa ltented May 9, I899.

J. A. HORTON 8|. 6. WING.

MAILER.

(Application fllod Apr. 9, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A TTORNEYS.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HORTON AND Cl-IAUNOEY WING, OF GREENFIELD,

- MASSACHUSETTS. I

MAILER.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 624,806, dated May 9, 1899.

Application filed April 9, 1893. erial No. 677,060. (No model.)

and paste the same upon the article to be,

mailed.

The invention consists of the novel features which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a mailer of the class above mentioned with our improvements attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view ofone end of such mailer with the pivot of the swinging cutterarm in section. our mailer. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof the same end of a mailer, showing the bearings for the rock-shaft and the clutch for adjusting the spring tension thereon in section. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a mailer, showing our improvement only, and in a different position from that shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. v

7 is a detail showing the construction of the clutch or collar by which the tension of the spring for raising the cutter-blade may be:

readily adjusted.

the Patent No. 519,185, granted May 1, 1894,

j usted to secure perfect operation. The main part of the mailer is of the same construction as shown in the said patent, and will not, 1

therefore, be described in detail.

The main casing A, the handle A, together with the strip-feeding mechanism, comprising as a part thereof the wheel B and the pasting Fig. 4 is an end elevation of cutter-blade d. sharpened upon both edges and may be re- Our invention relates to certain improve ments in the details of the mailer shown in] mechanism, are all the same as shown in said patent, and are not, therefore, illustrated or describedin detail herein. Upon the front end of the mailer is secured the fixed cuttingblade (1, which is in the main similar to the cutting-blade shown in the patent referred to. It differs from the cutting-blade shown in said patent by being secured to the bottom of the mailer by means of screws e, which pass through slots E" in the casing instead of' passing through holes, as shown in said patent. This enables the blade to be readily shifted or adjusted by simply slackening the screws slightly and pulling them out of the slot instead of having to remove them from holes and replace them, as is necessary in the construction shown in said patent.

Alongside of the main frame of the mailer is j ournaled a rock-shaft G, which is supported in brackets G 'and G extending to one side from the main frame. This rock-shaft is supported at one end upona threaded bolt G which passes through the supporting bracket G by which means the shaft may be adjusted so as to keep the blades in proper contact and prevent any slack motion therein. Upon the outer end of the shaft G is mounted the's'winging cutter-arm D. This arm has a cutting-blade cl secured thereon by means of the screws 6, which enter the cutter-blade d and lie within the notches E in the arm D. These notches extend to one side of the arm D and facilitate the adjustment or removal of the cutter-blade in the same manner as the similar construction in connection with the This cutter-blade d is'also versed when desired.

The cutter-arm D is mounted upon the rockshaft G, so as to be swung thereby when the shaft is oscillated. It is also pivoted upon the same rock-shaft, so that it may swing toward and from the edge of the cutter-blade shown in the drawings.

The preferred construction for this is In this the end of the rock-shaft G is flattened, as shown at G,

the head and the shaft. For the purpose of head and engages the shaft G. At the point where this screw. enters the head the head is provided with a slot J. This gives a certain amount of spring to the head, so that the adjusting-screw is held firmly in whatever position it is left. This prevents accidental movement of the screw and consequent disturbance of the adjustment.

To hold the arm D pressed toward the fixed cutter-blade and with the adj listing-screw J in contact with the shaft, thepivot I is sur rounded with a spiral spring I, which at one end engages a shoulder D upon a rearward extension D of the cutter-arm and at the other end is fixed to the head of the pivot I. The tension of this spring I is adjusted by turning the pin I within its bearings, and the pin is secured when adjusted by means of a set-screw g, which enters the end of the shaft G and bears upon the pivot I.

A rocking plate C is provided, which is similar to the rocking plate shown in the patent mentioned. This rocking plate has arms G which extend to the rear and are pivoted at 0 upon the sides of the main frame or casing. The rocking plate C has a side extending arm 0', and this arm has a pin 0 which extends longitudinally of the frame and in such position as to engage the extension D of the cutterarm D. This extension D is offset from the center of the arm and its shaft G and is also curved, so that it acts in the nature of a lever and cam. The pin 0 mounted upon the rocking plate, engages the arm D, so as to operate the swinging cutter-blade. The position of this arm and its curve and the fact that the cam or sliding surfaces are upon the cutter-arm instead of upon the perforation in the arm of the rocking plate, as shown in said patent, permit the cutter-arm to be raised to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 6, and thus to permit an unobstructed view of the address-slip and also increasing its power to out said slip, and thus facilitate a rapid and accurate operation of the mailer. Vhen the movement first begins, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6 and the action of the pin G upon the extension or arm D is a sliding one, or resembling that of a cam, the power being small. As the end of the cutter-blade swings upward the pressure of the pin against the arm D is more nearly perpendicular to its surface and the action changes to that of a lever, the power at the same time increasing until it reaches its maximum at about the time the mailing-slip is cut.

The spirally-coiled spring g surrounds the rock-shaft G and is secured at one end upon a portion of the frame and at the other end to a collar or clutch H, which surrounds the shaft and may be rotated thereon. The construction ofthis collar is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7. In one end this collar is red and in the bottom of the recess are tions or teeth h, which are adapted to engage a pin h, which projects from the rockshaft G. The spring 9 is so coiled as to have a rotating effect upon the collar H and in addition a thrust which will force it against the pin h. The tension of the spring may thus be readily adjusted by forcing the collar H upon the shaft, so as to free it from the pin h, then rotating the collar upon the shaft until the required tension is secured, and then permitting it to be forced against the pin h. The adjustment of the tension of this spring g is thus very easily and quickly accomplished.

The spring g serves to normally hold the cutter-arm D in an elevated position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The cutter-arm is forced downward by pressing the mailer down upon the work. upward, and this, by the engagement of the pin C with the extension D of the arm, forces the cutter-arm downward and cuts off a portion of the slip containing one address. The pivoting of the cutter-arm D upon the pivot I enables us to obtain a true shear cut and considerabl y reduce the friction between the two cutter-blades. This results in more perfect work than where the cutter-arm is rigidly secured to its rock-shaft. By reason of this and the ability to adjust the position of the arm through the action of the screw J the engagement of the swinging cutter-blade with the fixed cutter-blade may be adjusted so that the pressure is very slight and yet so that the cutting is certain. In consequence of thisthe blades will last longer before getting dull than where the ordinary construction is used. Moreover, the method of fastening the cutter-blades to the cutter-arm and to the casing permits of a ready adjustment of the same or a reversal, which all tends to facilitate the operation of the machine. The adjustment of the tension of the two springs is also veryqnickly accomplished. As a consequence of these movements the operation of the machine is very much improved and the work accomplished with greater rapidity and certainty.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a mailer, a swinging cutter-blade having main and auxiliary pivots substantially at right angles to each other, a tension-sprin g acting upon the auxiliary pivot and means for adjusting its tension, substantially as described.

2. In a mailer, a pivoted cutting-arm having an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to its main pivot, substantially as described.

3. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, a main pivot located near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, and a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and adapted to engage the fixed blade, substantially as described.

4. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, a main pivot located near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the aux- 'iliary pivot and adapted to engage the fixed blade, and a spring acting to swing the blade upon the auxiliary pivot, to hold it against the cutting edge of the fixed blade, substantially as described.

5. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, a main pivot lo cated near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and adapted to engagethe fixed blade, and a stop limiting the swing of the blade upon the auxiliary pivot, substantially as described.

6. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, a main pivot located near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported toswing thereon, a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and adapted to engage the fixed blade,- a spring acting to swing the blade upon the auxiliary pivot to hold it against the cutting edge of the fixed blade, and a'stop limiting its swing in this direction, substantially as described.

7. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, amain pivot located near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and adapted to engage the fixed blade, and an adj usting-screw in said cutterarm and engaging the main pivot to limit the swing of the movable blade toward the fixed blade, substantially as described.

8. A slip-cutting device for avmailer, comprising a fixed cutter-blade, a main pivot cated near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, a cutter arm or blade pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and adapted to engage the fixed blade, a spring acting to swing the blade upon the auxiliary pivot to hold it against the cutting edge of the fixed blade, and means'for adjusting the tension of said spring, substantially as described. g

9. A slip-cutting mechanism for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a flattened section, a cutting arm or blade having a slot in one end embracing the flattened section of the rock-shaft, a pivot passing through the arm and rock-shaft, a spring acting to hold said arm against the edge of the fixed cutting-blade, and means for turning said rock-shaft to engage the cutting edges of both blades, substantially as described.

10. A slip-cutting mechanism for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a flattened section, a cutting arm or blade having a slot in one end embracing the flattened section of the rock-shaft, a' pivot passing through the arm and rock-shaft, a

spiral spring surrounding said pivot and connected atone end to the pivot and at the other to the arm, to hold it against the edge of the fixed cutting-blade, and means for turning said rock-shaft to engage the cutting to engage the cutting edges of both blades, 1

substantially as described.

12. A slip-cutting mechanism for a mailer,

comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a flattened section, a cutting arm or blade having a slot in one end embracing the flattened section of the rock-shaft, a pivot passing through the arm and rock-shaft, an adj usting-screw passing through said arm and engaging the rock-shaft, a spring acting to hold said arm against the edge of the fixed cutting-blade, and means for turning said rock-shaft to engage the cutting edges of both blades, substantially as described.

13. A slip-cutting mechanism for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a flattened section, a cutting arm or blade having a slot in one end embracing the flattened section of the rock-shaft, a pivot passingloosely through the arm and rockshaft, a spiral spring surrounding said pivot and connected at one end to the pivot and at the other to the arm, a set-screw entering the rock-shaft and engaging said pivot, an adj usting-screw passing through the arm and engaging the rock-shaft, and means for turning said rock-shaft to engage the cutting edges of both blades, substantially as described.

14. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a main pivot located near one end of said blade, an auxiliary pivot substantially at right angles to the main pivot and supported to swing thereon, an arm pivoted upon the auxiliary pivot and having slots extending to one edge thereof, and a cutting-blade having binding-screws entering the slots in the arm ,substantially as described.

15. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a complementary cutting-blade mounted thereon, a spirally-coiled spring surrounding said rock-shaft and at one end havingafixed support, a collar loose upon the shaft and con nected to the other end of the spring, and a pin upon the shaft engageable with one side of the collar, to prevent its rotation, substantially as described.

16. A slip-cutting device for a mailer, comprising a fixed cutting-blade, a rock-shaft having a complementary cutting-blade mounted thereon,a spirally-coiled spring surrounding said rock-shaft, and at one end having a fixed support, a collar loose upon the shaft and connected to the other end of the spring, said collar being toothed upon one end face, and a pin upon the shaft and engageable with the teeth of said collar, substantially as described.

17. Amailerhavingaswingingcntter-blade provided with an offset curved arm on one side of its pivot and with the convexed side toward the pivot, a rocking actuating member having a part engaging the convexed side of said arm whereby the arm acts as both a cam and a lever in difierent phases of its movement, substantially as described.

18. A mailer, having a fixed and a swinging cutter-blade, the latter provided with an olfset curved arm on one side of its pivot and with the convexed side toward the pivot, a rocking actuating member having a part swinging in a plane parallel with and at one side of the cutter-blade pivot and engaging the convexed side of said arm whereby the arm acts as both a cam and a lever in different phases of its movement, substantially as described.

19. In a mailer, fixed and swinging cutteracting upon the swinging blade to hold its extension against said arm of the rocking member, substantially as described.

20. In a mailer, fixed and swinging cutterblades, the swinging blade having a rearward and oifset curved extension beyond its pivot and having its convexed side toward the pivot and a rocking member having an arm or bar swinging in a plane parallel with and at one side of the blade-pivot, and engaging the convexed side of the extension to swing the blade whereby said extension acts consecutively both as a cam and a lever in different phases of its movement, substantially as described.

21. In a mailer, aswingin g cutter-blade having main and auxiliary pivots substantially at right angles to each other and an adjustable stop limiting the action of the auxiliary pivot, substantially as described.

JAMES A. HORTON. GHAUNCEY WING.

Witnesses:

WALTER N. SNOW, A. B. MoNALLY. 

